Focus on ills that force people to emigrate

Re: “U.S. isn’t only one with immigrations ills,” Oct. 8

I was deeply angered by Daniel Gallington’s commentary referring to British policies that allowed mass immigration of Indians and Pakistanis in the 1960s. “They [the Brits] simply don’t understand that these ‘new’ immigrants hate them and have always hated them and always will hate them,” Gallington says.

He goes on to make similar statements about the Turks in Germany and various immigrants in France.

Put aside the fact these statements are blatant overgeneralizations and racist to boot, unsupported by facts other than his mention that London has suffered subsequent bombings.

As I was complaining about the article at the breakfast table, my 7-year-old said, “The Hispanics don’t hate us, people in this country hate them.”

What angers me the most is his focus on people hating each other. Why can’t we focus on hating the factors that lead to immigration and its subsequent problems?

Whey don’t we hate the fact that a great many people struggle under unacceptable circumstances that include a lack of jobs, oppressive governments, lack of clean water and poor health care?

Why don’t we hate the fact that immigrants too often end up isolated and living in ghetto-like conditions — or that we still haven’t learned how to get along with each other?

Nothing unites people like a common enemy, and the human race has many of them. Let’s not waste time fighting each other.

Nancy Huddleston
Annandale

‘The Boss’ is still packing ’em in

Re: “Who cares what Springsteen thinks?” From Readers, Oct. 11

Once again, someone confuses his opinion of Bruce Springsteen’s politics with Springsteen’s musical success.

I do not see how Paul Moog can say that Springsteen has not had one good tune since 1986. I would include almost every song he has written since then, including “My City of Ruins,” “Mary’s Place,” “Human Touch,” “Leap of Faith” and “Land of Hope and Dreams.”

Having attended a few Springsteen concerts since 1986, I can say that he has a very dedicated following, with fans flying in from all over the country and the world. His current tour has been selling out in most locations within minutes of tickets going on sale.

Perhaps Mr. Moog just follows the standard line that anyone who disagrees with him must be a failure, and can’t let a few facts such as ticket and album sales influence his opinion.

Paul Chernoff
Arlington

Government-run health care’s poor record casts doubt on SCHIP

Re: “Keeping children healthy is a good investment,” From Readers, Oct. 11

Oftentimes, anti-abortionists are accused of caring more for children when they are unborn. This is the charge one Examiner reader made against President Bush for opposing SCHIP, which I believe is generally unfair.

It also does not speak directly to the issue at hand: whether the State Children’s Health Insurance Program is a viable solution to the lack of health insurance for millions of Americans.

Some believe that expanding SCHIP will create a bureaucratic nightmare where everyone is covered in theory but care is not available in practice because almost no one can get it when they need it. This belief is based on the experience of government-run medicine in other countries, so it is not just mere speculation.

If that is all SCHIP really is, then those who oppose it are right to do so.

Angela McIntosh
Frederick

One-sided commentary misses movie’s point about Che

Re: “Che Guevara was a murderous thug,” Oct. 10

One hopes Jay Ambrose’s point — that present-day adulations and honors are certainly not appropriate in light of the atrocities Guevara committed — is well-taken. Many people who idolize him are most likely unaware of his history.

However, Ambrose’s column was too one-sided and missed a major point about Mr. Redford’s intention as executive producer of “Motorcycle Diaries.” It certainly wasn’t adulatory, but rather a keen insight on the metamorphosis of a medical student specializing in leprosy with a promising future who became a revolutionary, and then a murderous thug who took things way too far. The world changes us sometimes.

D. Baker
Falls Church